Chef Marco

We had a fantastic time with Chef Marco. It was great to experience the market through his eyes of a local and to get inspired by his ideas of which typical Sicilian dishes to cook. He welcomed us to his home which was very beautiful and authentic and he really made us feel at home. We loved listening to his personal experiences growing up in Palermo and learning how to cook and getting a few tips on how to get around the city and try to blend in. We learned a lot of new skills like pasta making, professional cutting, cannoli from scratch and how to combine fantastic Sicilian flavors. We were joined by another lovely couple that made the experience even more interesting and fun. We would totally recommend anyone to book this experience when coming to Palermo. It gives you great insights to the Sicilian cuisine and way of life. Chef Marco is a great, funny, talented and welcoming host. Grazie!

Truly one of the best experiences of our trip to Sicily! Let’s start with the host, chef Marco. An exceptional and qualified chef, Marco was warm and full of energy upon the first greeting. He was sure to ask us about our cooking experience and what we would like to try to make. Marco was easy to talk to you and seemed genuinely interested in his pupils’ lives. He is very funny! I joked with him and let him know I wouldn’t have a problem with him joking back and giving me a hard time. He had the perfect balance of stern lessons and techniques while cooking, but also knew when to lighten up and be warm. Now the food! We made pesto stuffed ravioli in a tomato compote sauce, swordfish pies and a Sicilian stable, caponata. All were exceptional and we had a tough time choosing which was our favorite. We particularly liked that he chose to help us make the swordfish pies with a North African influence (mint, raisins, orange, lemon). We are many meals over the course of several weeks throughout Italy, but this one was simply the best. We will take this experience home and try to recreate it, but will miss chef Marco’s charm and energy the next time we try. Bellisimo!

Incredible!! Chef Marco was incredible. His energy and enthusiasm makes the day that much better. Going through the markets to get your ingredients before cooking was really cool. Absolutely recommend.

Chef Marco was amazing!!! He was funny and just a joy to cook with him. The trip to the market and making my favorite dish ravioli was fantastic!!! If anyone would like to do a cooking class you must book with Chef Marco!! It absolutely was my favorite experience in Sicily.

The market tour with Chef Marco was so fun. His relationship with the vendors was beautiful to see. His flat is so charming and his cooking area was clean, organized and was amazing. We had a small group that day and it was perfect. We had amazing pasta, caponata and cannolis. We laughed so much and had an absolute blast with him!

It was such a wholesome experience being able to select our own produce before cooking. What a special opportunity to learn from such a passionate chef like Marco and to be welcomed into his home.

My first cooking class on vacation: Chef Marco met us, designed a menu based on our preferences and restrictions, then we went shopping for ingredients in the market. We met his preferred vendors and did some shopping ourselves. We then went to his large, homey apartment nearby. The kitchen was spacious and well-equipped. Chef Marco led us step by step through making everything from scratch: pasta and cannoli dough, fillings, sauce, caponata, swordfish rolls. I never felt rushed or uncertain, and the ambiance was fun and lighthearted. We got to understand the uniqueness of Sicilian produce and ingredients, and I learned some new techniques and tips that I’ll use in my own kitchen. All the food was made from simple, high quality ingredients. We ended up sitting down to a lovely lunch together at a beautifully set table. A wonderful experience worth more than its price and highly recommend.

Chef Marco is wonderful! A great host, chef and teacher. No wonder this experience turned out to be a lot of fun. From the moment we met and visited the market until leaving Marco's home...... Every minute was brilliant. A real Sicilian treat!!